National Party leader David Littleproud faced a leadership spill motion proposed by party MP Colin Boyce today. However, most observers believe he has enough support to survive the challenge and retain leadership.

The challenge stems from recent cracks between the Nationals and the Liberal Party. The Nationals withdrew from the coalition over the government’s handling of the Hate Speech Act, causing several shadow cabinet members to resign and creating a stalemate. Boyce advocated reuniting with the Liberals, warning that continued division could lead to loss of voter support.

The leadership position of Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley is also uncertain. Some party members wish to maintain stability without undermining her, while conservative supporters could challenge her in the coming weeks.

The Nationals are set to negotiate with Ley on whether to repair the coalition or allow the split to persist. Some Liberal MPs have drafted temporary shadow cabinet arrangements, potentially filling seats that have not rejoined the coalition in the short term.

A former member who claims to have worked inside South Korea’s Shincheonji Church for several years told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that he was part of a team responsible for contacting and recruiting other church pastors. This is not ordinary evangelical outreach; it is a strategic operation with plans, lists, and progress tracking, aiming to attract entire parishes or congregations to Shincheonji.

The former member, Matthew, said the team, called the “Pastor Evangelism Team,” targeted pastors across Australia to convince them to adopt Shincheonji teachings. Once a pastor changed allegiance, they would bring their entire congregation with them. At least ten pastors reportedly had ongoing dialogues with the team, and around five showed keen interest in joining. Internal records revealed that Shincheonji had compiled over a thousand Australian churches’ and pastors’ contact details, tracking progress of communication, whether the pastor knew the church had been labeled a cult, and whether they opposed it.

Melbourne pastor Rasenberger said he had received multiple contact invitations. Some invitations appeared to be “interchurch dialogue” or “Bible study sessions” but were actually disguised recruitment activities. Upon investigation, he immediately refused and warned colleagues that it was a cult.

Shincheonji founder Lee Man-hee claims to be “divinely inspired,” teaching that only he can interpret the true meaning of the Book of Revelation and promising salvation to believers at the end of days. Mainstream Christian churches generally consider Shincheonji a fringe religion or cult rather than traditional Christianity.

The report notes that Shincheonji’s Australian branch is registered as a charity, currently enjoying certain legal protections and tax benefits. Supporters of former members and aid organizations are calling on the government to review which groups can receive such benefits to prevent cults from exploiting legal loopholes.

Colin Hay, former lead singer of Australian rock band Men at Work, urged opposition to the use of the band’s classic song Down Under at the recent March for Australia anti-immigration rally. He emphasized that the song was originally meant to celebrate Australia’s multiculturalism and inclusive spirit and should not be used to promote exclusion or division.

Hay wrote on social media that Down Under was written to celebrate diversity and inclusion and “is not for those trying to sow anti-immigrant sentiment.” He signed the post with his full name followed by “(immigrant)” to underscore his identity and stance.

March for Australia has become a controversial rally in recent years, organized under the banner of protecting the national holiday (January 26) and strengthening national identity, attracting participation from right-wing groups. Critics argue that the events are linked to exclusionary ideologies and extremist elements.

In addition to Down Under, other Australian musicians, including rock band Hoodoo Gurus and The Living End, have strongly condemned the use of their songs at political gatherings, stressing that their music was originally intended to unite people rather than convey political positions.